Suits - Season 2 Episode 8 - Recap and Review - Rewind

Oh Suits, that was all kinds of wonderful. If I was a little disappointed in the past few weeks, tonight more than made up for it in every way. While I have enjoyed this season’s plot so far, I think the show has suffered a little in how it is choosing to portray things. At the onset of the season, the writers clearly had a small number of plotlines and themes that they wanted to focus on. Normally, I love that kind of laser focus, because it means the writers know exactly what they want to do and where they want to take the story. The key, however, to making sure that that type of format remains interesting is by offering various ways to look at the same circumstances. Up until tonight, the show was not doing that. Instead, it was simply rehashing the same ideas over and over, without varying any of the principal facts involved. By taking a step back though, no pun intended, Suits has totally reframed not only this season’s plot, but also the series in general.

Obviously the character to benefit most from tonight’s reframing is Harvey. Admit it, how many of you thought Harvey was going to see his father, and that the man would be alive? The ambiguous nature of those scenes leading up to the big reveal was fantastic, and totally made me gasp a little. It all added a much-needed layer and depth to Harvey’s character.

Clearly, his dad was an important figure in Harvey’s life, especially given Tanner’s hints last episode. From the audience’s perspective, the scene where Donna tells Harvey about his father’s death was heartbreakingly beautiful. There was that show of emotion, the vulnerability we had been waiting a season and a half for. It also helped to explain why Harvey has been cracking this season. As Zoe said, the firm was becoming Harvey’s life as he ran away from his real problems he could not deal with. The outcome of this power struggle is about so much more than beating Hardman; it truly is Harvey’s life, because that is all he has now. After losing his father, Harvey clung on to the one thing he had in his life, and he is helplessly watching it slip away. From that perspective, no wonder he is becoming unhinged. Losing to Hardman means Harvey would have to deal with some very heavy personal demons, and that is plainly something he cannot do at the moment.

Harvey’s story was not the only one to benefit from the new light cast by tonight’s episode, as Jessica’s situation also became much more personal. The show has spent time on how Harvey’s betrayal with Mike hurt Jessica, but never on what Hardman’s did to her. When you consider it, Jessica has been burnt every which way: by her mentor who plucked her from obscurity, her protégé that she did the same thing to, and hell, even her ex-husband. Here is a woman who has overcome so much adversity, all the while playing by the rules, and yet she still might lose it all. That is compelling television, plain and simple. Before tonight, Jessica was a woman trying to hold onto power. Now, she is a fighter who keeps getting back in the ring after continually being knocked down.

I could take every major character and discuss them in a similar fashion. Donna was more than a close friend to Harvey; she was his rock both professionally and personally. Louis has been consistently marginalized in every aspect of his life, and finally has the chance for some self-determination. Rachel’s professional problems are really familial ones. Mike has lost almost everything and everyone connecting him to his old life, which is the real reason he is slowly turning into Harvey. In other words, what was repeatedly being portrayed as professional problems for all of these episodes has finally been revealed to be personally ones.

As I said at the beginning, I am super excited about this development and tonight’s happenings. It feels that the show has finally stopped spinning its wheels narratively speaking, and is truly heading somewhere with a purpose.

Quick Hits:

Donna!!!!!!!!!! God, it was great to have her back and in comedic fashion. I am genuinely happy that her character has been moved more into the central plot, but I miss her one-liner-days every once and a while. Lady was on fire tonight.

Of course Louis had braces, duh. Also, his love for Harvey was palpable. That poor man, he will win, will he?

Love seeing Jessica playing hardball with the Hardman situation. About time, woman! It was also nice to see she was not always so dominating and in control of everything. Just different shading adding more to her character.

Macht had a standout episode tonight. He showed his range very nicely with everything that was asked of him, and I would even go as far to say that this was his best acting episode ever. The scene with Louis two weeks back was his best overall, but this was just a stupendous job throughout.

I actually did not hate seeing Trevor and Jenny. They finally served a purpose besides annoying me. Also, you could really see that Mike and Jenny had something. Simply wrong place and wrong time for those kids.

I really cannot blame Louis for his actions. The man has been nothing but kicked around, and it is biting Jessica right in the ass like I said it would. She had multiple chances to make it right, but she simply let them slip away.

I will take Grandma Ross in any form, but prefer her not helpless. Between that scene and the one with Harvey’s dad passing, you know what is coming soon with her. Something tells me it will be part of the back episodes this season.

Fantastic episode tonight, one that really put the show back on track.